People Power: Exploring the Future of Demographics Through Play
If you ask Adam Sharpe what he thinks is the biggest issue of the day, he’ll tell you it’s the shift in demographics caused by an ageing global population, coupled with falling fertility rates.
This shift is expected to lead to a population decline, which has profound implications on economics, social dynamics, technology, sociology, politics, human rights, and more.
With fewer young people supporting a growing ageing population, tax, pension, healthcare and social security systems could collapse.
Additionally, some governments have already enacted wide-ranging measures in a bid to reverse the impact, from encouraging childbirth to more coercive policies infringing on bodily autonomy.
Adam and Siddhi Patil (both NGFP 2022 Fellows) teamed up to ensure policymakers, social organisations, activists, citizens and others challenge their assumptions and creatively explore potential futures shaped by this megatrend. They’ve created a game called People Power to do that.
They opted for gamification because it helps make complex topics like population decline more accessible across generations, Adam explained.
“I felt it could widen the access point of what should be an issue that’s high on our radars and isn’t.”
The game not only allows participants to learn about the demographic change, it’s also a participatory method that invites them to explore alternative futures and emerging issues through roleplay. Futures are then analysed, and participants co-create recommendations to get ahead of disruptions.
Today, the People Power game has been played around the world in various contexts. From policymakers in Europe to leading economists in Japan, to young foresight practitioners and climate activists, the game has proven to resonate with diverse audiences, sparking conversations and insights.
A Network-Facilitated Collaboration
Adam and Siddhi began working together after meeting through their NGFP Fellowship in 2022. People Power was the project that got Adam the NGFP Intergenerational Fairness Award that year.
Meeting Siddhi was a stroke of luck, because Adam had been looking to collaborate with a designer who has foresight knowledge.
“I think one of the benefits of the NGFP community is, whilst people are coming from extremely diverse backgrounds and have diverse skill sets, they all have not only a baseline level of understanding of foresight, but they also are eager to get more involved in foresight,” Adam reflected.
Siddhi’s expertise in product design and branding proved instrumental in shaping the visual identity of the People Power game. Together, they crafted a deck of cards that not only captured emerging issues but also invited players to engage with the subject matter in a meaningful way.
From characters to colours and text on the card, Siddhi and Adam collaborated on designing the game to encourage players to express their views without influencing them. At times, they take a humorous route. For example, one card in the game uses the character of a sperm hero. Yes, it has a cape.
Siddhi said the collaboration with Adam has helped her refine her own NGFP project, which focused on agrifood and farmers in India, and opened up doors for other projects, too.
“For me, the NGFP network has really helped because it is really easy to just get in touch with anyone and just have a conversation about the kind of work they are doing, getting to know them better and the kind of work they want to do in the future.”
Looking ahead, Adam and Siddhi are eager to expand the reach of People Power and deepen its impact. They are adding a brand specialist to their team and exploring opportunities to engage with policymakers, decision-makers, and citizens on a global scale.
Through this game, they seek to promote foresight, citizen engagement, and human rights in addressing complex societal challenges. They hope to inspire others to embrace innovative approaches and collaborative efforts in shaping a more inclusive and equitable future.
Interested in bringing the game to your organisation, or playing it yourself? Contact Adam or visit People Power’s website.
You can also learn more through Adam’s talk at the Creative Bureaucracy Festival below.